The present invention relates generally to the vacuum cleaner field, and, more particularly, to a telescoping handle for an upright vacuum cleaner and an upright vacuum cleaner incorporating such a telescoping handle.
Upright vacuum cleaners in all of their designs and permutations have become increasingly popular over the years. The upright vacuum cleaners generally incorporate a nozzle assembly and a canister assembly pivotally connected to the nozzle assembly. Together, the two assemblies ride on wheels over the floor surface to be cleaned.
The canister assembly includes an operating handle that is manipulated by the user to move the vacuum cleaner to and fro across the floor. The canister assembly also includes either a bag-like filter or a cyclonic separation chamber and filter combination that traps dirt and debris while substantially clean air is exhausted by a fan that is driven by an onboard electric motor. It is this fan and motor arrangement that generates the drop in air pressure necessary to provide the desired cleaning action. In most upright vacuum cleaners sold today, a rotary agitator is also provided in the nozzle assembly. The rotary agitator includes tufts of bristles, brushes, beater bars or the like to beat dirt and debris from the nap of a carpet being cleaned while the pressure drop or vacuum is used to force air entrained with this dirt and debris into the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner.
In order for the operator to be able to comfortably manipulate and easily control the movement of the vacuum cleaner back and forth across the floor, it is important for the control handle to be a particular height or length. That height or length varies depending upon the height of the operator. Accordingly, the best upright vacuum cleaners incorporate a control handle that is adjustable in length. Such a handle may also be fully retracted when the vacuum cleaner is in the upright storage position. This allows more convenient storage of the vacuum cleaner in a closet or the like when not in use. The present invention relates to a simple and inexpensive telescoping handle design that provides user-friendly and reliable performance over a long service life.
In accordance with the purposes of the present invention as described herein, an improved upright vacuum cleaner is provided. That upright vacuum cleaner includes a nozzle assembly and a canister assembly pivotally connected to the nozzle assembly. Additionally, a suction generator is carried on the nozzle assembly or the canister assembly.
The upright vacuum cleaner also includes a telescoping handle assembly. The telescoping handle assembly includes an elongated handle received in a slot in the canister assembly for sliding movement relative to the canister assembly. The elongated handle also includes a series of longitudinally spaced adjustment apertures. The telescoping handle assembly still further includes a projecting guide pin carried on the elongated handle and a cooperating guide channel on the canister assembly for receiving the projecting guide pin. Additionally, the telescoping handle assembly includes a latch carried on the canister assembly for selectively engaging any one of the longitudinally spaced adjustment apertures.
Still more specifically describing the invention, the elongated handle includes a lumen and a guide pin receiving aperture. A spring clip is secured to the projecting guide pin. The spring clip is received in the lumen to hold the projecting guide pin in place in the guide pin receiving aperture.
The latch is pivotally mounted to the canister assembly. A compression spring biases a pin on the latch into selective engagement with any one of the longitudinally spaced adjustment apertures. The latch may be L-shaped. Additionally, a hand grip may be provided on the control handle to allow easier manipulation of the vacuum cleaner and more user friendly operation.
In the following description there is shown and described one possible embodiment of this invention, simply by way of illustration of one of the modes best suited to carry out the invention. As it will be realized, the invention is capable of other different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions will be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.